Myanmar’s Ousted Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Transferred to House Arrest: State Media |
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Myanmar’s Ousted Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Transferred to House Arrest: State Media
The announcement is part of a concerted PR push currently being undertaken by the new “civilian” government in Naypyidaw.
A poster of Aung San Suu Kyi hangs on the wall of a restaurant in Bagan, Myanmar.
Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, according to state media, more than five years after the military removed her from office in a coup.
The state broadcaster MRTV reported yesterday that “the remaining portion of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence has been commuted to be served at a designated residence,” in Reuters’ translation. MRTV also broadcast a photograph of Suu Kyi seated on a wooden bench along with two uniformed personnel – the first image of the politician to emerge since shortly after the coup.
The report states that the 80-year-old’s move from the main prison in Naypyidaw to house arrest was “made to celebrate Buddha Day, to show humanitarian concern, and to demonstrate the kindness of the state.” It did not specify where she would reside, but said that “she will now serve the remainder of her sentence at a specific home instead of in prison.”
The 1991 Nobel laureate has been in custody since February 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government, on the morning that it was scheduled to be sworn in for its second term in office.
Suu Kyi was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 on a range of far-fetched charges, including incitement, corruption, election fraud, and violation of Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act. Her trial was the last time that she was seen in public, and the last official photo of her was released in May 2021. The sentence was later commuted to 27 years.
Earlier yesterday, authorities announced that Suu Kyi’s prison sentence was being reduced by one-sixth as part of a prisoner amnesty marking a Buddhist religious holiday, the Full Moon day of Kason, which was announced “for the sake of public peace and humanitarian reasons,” according to Myanmar ITV. It covered 1,519 prisoners, including 11 foreigners, all of whom have received a similar reduction in their sentences.
The amnesty followed a similar mass pardon on April 17, which saw the release of 4,335 prisoners, including President Win Myint, who served as Suu Kyi’s proxy in the presidency during the NLD’s time in office, when she was barred by the constitution from holding the post. This amnesty also saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence reduced by one-sixth.
These two amnesties have brought her sentence down to 18 years and nine months, The Irrawaddy reported, of which she still has to serve more than 13 years. That is still effectively a life sentence, given Suu Kyi’s advanced age; it certainly rules out the totemic leader playing any significant........